A former Orleans Parish sheriff's deputy who was accused of leaving his post when he was supposed to be watching a suicidal inmate has been charged with malfeasance in office, according to court records. William Thompson, 34, was watching William Goetzee, a federal inmate who had declared his suicidal intentions during his arrest in front of federal court in early August.

Orleans Parish sheriffWilliam Thompson is accused of malfeasance in office.

Goetzee, a U.S. Coast Guard employee, was arrested after he tried to grab a gun from a federal security officer.

Five days after his arrest, Goetzee was found dead in his cell on the Orleans Parish sheriff's mental health floor at the House of Detention. A coroner's investigation concluded he cut off his air supply by swallowing toilet paper.

Goetzee, who had been under suicide watch, was supposed to be observed around the clock. Two weeks after the death, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman put out an arrest warrant for Thompson, saying an internal investigation found that the deputy had "left his assigned duty post and falsified records that he was required to maintain."

Thompson was originally booked with both malfeasance and injuring public records, but the online system for criminal court records shows that the DA's office has charged him only with malfeasance, a felony.

Goetzee's fiance and sister released a statement saying they supported the prosecution, while criticizing the system that led to the 48-year-old man ending up at the jail and dying in his cell.

David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune archiveOrleans Parish Prison was photographed in December 2009.

"Bill's tragic death reveals the terrible inadequacy and failure of our mental health 'system' where people who are in need of medical care are instead locked up in jail, where they are, unfortunately, and often with tragic consequence, not protected from harm," the statement said.

Thompson was terminated from the sheriff's office after Goetzee's death. A spokesman for Gusman said the office had no comment because of the pending criminal case.